Method of treating plastic material.



N0- 8l6,38'7, PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906. A. A. SGUTT.

METHOD 0F TREATING PLASTIC MATERIAL. APPLICATION FILED Nov.16, 1905.

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I I I I I I Attorney PATBNTED MAR. 27, 1906.

A. A. SCOTT. METHOD OF TRBATING PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1905.

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A. A. SCOTT. METHOD OF TRBATING PLASTIC MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1905.

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lby the weight of another iinrrnn STATES ,PATENT onirica.

ALEXANDER ANDERSON SCOTT, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. METHOD OF Tnt-:Arme PLASTIC MATRIAL.

Specication'of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

plasman sied November 16,1905. seria No. santas.

To @Zt whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State Vof Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Treating Plastic Material, of Whichvthe following is a speciiication, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings.

My improvement relates generally to methods of treating clay and analogous plastic material for the manufacture of brick, tile, and analogous artificial products requiring drying under relativelyT moderate temperature and subsequent burning by being subjected to an intense heat and the improvement relates particularly` to the manufacture of such products from what is termed stiff l clay in the clay-working art, the term soft'7 clay bein applied to those clays which are so plastic w ren formed into green bricks that such bricks must be set in single courses for drying (the plasticity being such that each individual brick would be pressed out of form brick placedupon it) and the term dry being applied t0 clays from Which bricks may beformed sufficiently firm to permit piling or setting in a kiln as high as is 'ordinarily desired for burning.

Approximately seventy-five per cent. of the brick manufactured in this country are made from stiff clays. Throughout this specification the description relates, primarily, to the manufacture of clay products from such stiff clays, and, secondarily, to the manufacture of clay products from such soft clays. i

y Blocks of clay forthe manufacture of brick and analogous products-are formed from claywhich has been rendered plastic and cohesive by mixing it with enough water to make it moist or wet, and such blocks are said to be wet or green Before these blocks soformed can be burned the water which they contain must be eliminated from them.

this has usually been done in-two steps, the first of said steps being the slow drying at a yrelatively low temperature--from approx-i# ticityof the bricks is sufficiently reduced to,

Here-v tofore in the manufacture of stiff-clay brick nated by the first step of drying has been eliminated. This second step of dryin is by some manufacturers called water-smoiing. In a' general way -it may be stated that the green brick are subjected to currents of air or other gaseous medium which are capable of taking up moisture from said blocks and carrying said 'moisture away, whereby the amount of moisture contained by said blocks is graduall more and more reduced. For

.the sake o convenience in description said air Vor other gaseous rnediummay be termed drying-air or va drying gaseous medlum.

-Such capability to absorb and carry away moisture varies to a large extent with the temperature of the gaseous medium, and

the rapidity with which said moisture is eliminatedfrom said blocks must vary according to variations in the quality of the clay. For some clays the absorption during the first stages of the drying must be slow in order to avoid checking said blocks. In `some instances it is desirable to begin with currents of air Which are. of low temperature (so that they will absorb slowly) or which are nearly saturated with moisture,- Aso-that they can take but little more moisture than they already-hold. Some manufacturers perform this first s tep of drying by exposing the bricks in low piles to the su ight and to natural currents of air at normal temperature; but according to the prevailing practice said 'bricks are laid or set on trucks in a limited number of courses and on said trucks put into an inclosure or structure, termed a drier, and there subjected to currents of alr at a relatively low temperature-from approximately 100o to 600o Fahrenheit-until the plasticity of the bricks has been sufficiently reduced to permit setting to the height desired for burning-from about thirty to fifty courses high. Such method is undesirable, because it necessitates expenditure for the construction and maintenance ofthe driers and requires extra" handling of the bricks, and the method is not adapted to the mechanical handling of the brickdirect from the machine to the'kiln, and

because there is lossof heatin transferrin the brick from the drier into thekiln.-

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g until they have then drying said blocks, and thereby render- 'stated that my improved method involves The object et my invention is to reduce the cost ot mechanical equipment, to reduce the handling of the brick, to allow such handling to be to the largest extent mechanical direct from the machine into the kiln, and to avoid such loss of heat in the assing of the brick from the drier into the ki n.

By my improved method the drier is altoether dispensed with, and the bricks are set in the kiln direct from the machine in the green or wet state and are not again moved been both dried and burned. By wayof' general description it may be setting the green or wet blocks in the kiln 1n a group, b elt, or zone to only such hei ht as will avoid crushing the lower of said b ocks,

ing them suiiiciently iirm to support greater pressure from above, then settlng upon the group, belt, or zone of blocks thus dried another group, belt, or zone of green blocks, then dryingthe blocks oi said second grou belt, or Zone, then setting a third group, be t, or zone of green or wet blocks upon said second group, then-drying said third group, and so on until the total height of all said groups aggregates the height desired for the burning of said blocks.

For the sake of economy the ractice of my method may, if so desired, a so include the utilization of the heated air, termed waste heat in this art, coming from' a charged kiln during the cooling' eriod after the charge has been burned an the prod ucts of combustion coming from a charged kiln during the burning period, said heated air or said products of combustion being drawn through suitable ducts into a kiln or compartment of a kiln in which a group of green brick has-been set ready for drying.

As to economy it' may be noted that by my improved method the savin of labor after the stream of plastic materia leaves the machine is tully 'titty percent. Besides this item there is 'a saving of heat. Further- 'llan showin more, the cost of mechanical equipment is reduced. approximately one-half.

ln another ap lication for Letters Patent of the United btates executed by me on the 10th. of November, 1905, l describe a generic method for treating lastic material and certain relatively speciiic modifications of said. method, and said application contains generic claims for said method and specific claims for a portion of said modifications or variations. Some oi the modifications of said method which are not claimed by'said application are made the subject-matter of this application, and the Tenorio method of the sluwe-mentioned a plication is specific relative to the niethor made the subjectmatter ol' an application for Letters Patent ol the United taleahied 'oyme Gctober 12, f1, D. lllil, inermi blu, lffllll.

r hiee? The apparatus disclosed by this ,application is made the subject-matter of another application executed by me of even date herewith.

My improved method may be practiced or carried out by variousmechanical means.`

As examples of such means I-refer to the apparatus illustrated by the accompanying drawings.'

1n said drawings, Figure 1 is a transversev upright section of a kiln adapted to the practice of said method, said section being on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectipnal plan of the'same kiln. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic a group of three kilns and underground ucts communicating with said kilns.l Fig. 4 1s an upright cross-section of a kiln similar to that .shown in Fig. 1, b'ut having furnaces at only one side and havingv smoke-stacks or chimneys. Fig. 5 is afrag'- mentary sectional plan of a modification.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the loor of the kiln. 2 2 are the side walls. 3 3 are the end walls, and 4 is an arch supported by the lateral walls 2, and in said arch are crownorts L1l) provided with covers 4C. Along the ase of each side Wall 2 is a series of ovens 6, communicating with the kiln-chamber, through iues 7, ope into the space behind the bag-walls 15, whc rise from the licor 1 adj acent the inner'faces of the lateral'walls 2. A le to the side walls 2 2 a duct 8 extends horizontally through' the ground beneath the iioor 1, and from said duct ports or passages 9 extend upward through the floor 1 into the kiln-chamber, 1n Fig. 3 three such kilns are shown in diagram, and each duct 8 communicates at one end of its kiln with a duct 10 and at its other end with a duct 11, the duct 10 leading from a fan 12, while the duct 11 leads to said tan. The number of said kilns may, and for economy in operation should be, more than three. Between each such kiln and the duct 10 the ducts 8 are providedwith gates or dampers 13, and between said kilns and the duct 11 said ducts 8 are rov-ided with similar gates or dampers 14. t will be proximately midway between and paral- IOO IIO

observedthat this arrangement of said flues f and said fan provides mechanical means for Vdriving gases through the ducts 8 and orts or passages 9 into any one of said kiln-'c ambers or drawing gases from said kiln-chamber downward through said ports or vpas- .sages into the duct 8, the gate 13 being left open andthe gate 14 being closed for the former operation, and the positions of said gates being reversed for the the fan being set and operated to take gases from the duct 11 and discharge them into the duct 10.

The 'operation is as follows: The furnaces 6 being closed, horizontal tiers of brick o are set upon the floor 1, just as brick from the drier areordii'iarily set in such a kiln preparatter operation,

` the lateral ed l mos here. the

clase? they would be in a drier, from about five to ten high, (if they are of stiff clayjl'in order that the bricks in the lower layers may not be pressed out of shape by the Weight of the super osed layers. Now the wicketsare closed ash cover b is placed upon the brick thus piled, said coverextending across said group of brick centrally and the lateral edges not reaching to the bag-walls 15 15, so that said brick are isolated in a compartment in the lower portion of the kiln-chamber. Said cover may be paper or sheet metal or any other suitablesheet-form material capable of withstanding the relatively W heat under 'which the brick are to be dried. The said Group of bricks being thus isolated', a gaseous drying medium is now driven through the duct 8 and from the latter through the ports or passages 9 into the central lower. ortion of said group, and thence upward an later- .ally toward each bag-wall and upward through, the space c between said cover and said bag-walls, and thence through the crownports 4b into the atmosphere, sald cover, as is obvious from. an inspection of the drawings, serving to deflect the rising gaseous medium horizontally. This operation is continued until said" group of bricks has been Sudiciently dried for the setting of additional superposed groups. Then said cover b is removed, and another group is set upon the iirst p group, and a cover b placed upon said second group a, and a drying gaseous lmedium again riven through the duct 8, and from the latter through the ports or passages 9 into the baseofthe mass of brick and upward through the latter until said stream of gaseous medium is deflected horizontally by said cover' toward each bag-wall 15, until the opening between es of said .cover and said walls is reached, w ere said gaseous medium escapes through said crown-ports into the at- This operation is repeated until 'ln has been charged as high as desired. It will be observed that inasmuch as said drying gaseous medium is driven upward through the passages 9 its tendency is to rise,

and such movement is only terminated byy the deflecting action of the horizontal cover b, and such tendency to rise is all the more pronounced it the drying .gaseous medium is ot, as-is usually its condition. If it be desired to facilitate the upward movement of `said gaseous medium, the brick inail of the groups excepting` theuppermost maybe set with flue-spacing" d (continudus or".inter.

rupted)l above the ports or passages 9. IObviously such lflue-spacing may, so desired,

.9, into and through igh as the top of said group, and a..

a drying gaseous medium of the same orA .higher temperature through the duct 8, and

from the latter through theports or passages the entire mass of said brick, the cover b being left upon the uppermost group, if so desired. Or such additional drying may .be accomplished by closin the duct 8 and opening the furnaces 6 and a lowing the products of combustion from moderate iires in said furnaces to pass through the lues 7, over the bag-walls, and thence downward through the entire mass of brick, draft for ythis purpose being created by the fan 12. YWhen theentire mass of brick is suiiiciently dried for burning, (either by the exposure of each separate/group to the action of the drying agent or by such separate exposure and the subsequent exposure of the entire massto the drying agent,) the entire mass of brick is subjected to the intense heat ofproducts of combustion coming from strong ires maintained in said furnaces, said products of combustion passing through said iues 7, over the bag-walls, and thence downward through the entire mass of brick, as above indicated and as is the practice in connection with some downdraft-kilns. l mass of brick has been burned the air'heated during the period of cooling of said brick may be utilized in drying the brick in one or more adjoining kilns. In this `art such heated air is called waste heat.H Such utilization may be effected by means of the apparatus illustrated by Fig. 3. lf the right-hand kiln in said figure has been charged and the burning of said charge completed and one of the other kilns in said iigure is being charged,

then the gate 13 of said right-handkil'n is closed and the gate 14 .of the same kil-n opened, while the gate 13 of the next kilnis.

opened and the gate 14 of the same kiln is closed. Then the operation of the fan 12 will exhaust the air from the duct 8 of the first kiln through the duct l1v and drive said air Vthrough the duct 10 into the duct 8 of the next kiln and through said duct 8 into said next kiln. For the sake of economy the 'operation of charging and drying should be carried on-simultaneously in two'kilns, a

group of brick being set in one while afresh O'roup is being subjected to 'theaction of a drying agent in the other of said two kilns- When this is done, the hot air or waste heat drawn from the coolingkiln, asabove described,'may be driven alternately into saidl two kilns, so that said waste heat is uninterruptedly utilized'. Inthe average of these operations thewaste heat is suflicient. for

After the entire charge or roo IIO

drying 'agent may be introduced ap neys 16 are placed along said side of the kiln.

and made to communicate with the kilnchamber through a port 17, placedat or near the base of each stack. In this kiln the drying operation is carried on' as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, while during the 'burning operation `the products of combustion may be exhausted through the duet 8 or through the stacks 16, as may be desired.-

In Fig. 5 the duct 8 is provided with horizontal branches 8a, from which ports or passages Qa extend upward through the Hoor 1. When the kiln is thus constructed, the drying gaseous medium driven into the duct 8 vissues from the ports or passages 9 and also passes into the branches 8a and issues from the ports or passages 9a. By this means'the roximately evenly into the mass of bloc s between the lateral walls of saidmass and allowed to rise through said mass without lateral deflection by a cover or similar means placed upon the then. uppermost group of green blocks.

y I claim as my invention-- 1. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists in Jforming said material, in the green state, into blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed groups; and, after the setting of each group, driving a drying agent" into the base of said mass of blocks between the upright sides of said mass and thence through said mass; then subjecting the entire mass of said blocks to a ,highly-heated gaseous medium; and passing said gaseous medium thence to and through another group of' green blocks, substantially as described.v

2. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method .consists in forming said material, in the green state, into blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed greups; and, after'the setting of each group, driving a drying agent into t e base of'said mass of blocks between the upright sides of said mass` and thence through said mass; then subjecting the entire mass of said blocks to a highly-heated gaseous medium and passing said gaseous me-r dium thence to and through another group of green blocks, and then passing air through said mass of blocks and. conducting said air thence to and through a 'group of green.

' blocks, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described method. of treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, in the green state, in'to blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed grou s; and, after the setting of each group, drivlng a drying agent upward through said mass; then passing a highly -heat'ed gaseous medium downward through said mass, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which .method consists in forming said material, in the green state, into blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed groups; and, after the setting of each group, driving a drying agent u ward through said mass; then passing a highly-heated gaseous medium downward through said mass and thence to and through another group of green brick, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, in the green state, inte blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed groups and, after the settingl of each roup, driving a drying agent upward througi said mass; then passing a highly heated gaseous medium downward through said mass and thence to and through a group of green blocks, then passing air downward through said mass and thence to and through another group of green blocks, substantially as described.

6. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists informing said material, in the reen state, into blocks ,then setting said bloc rs in a plurality of superposed groups with upright fluespacing; and, after the setting of each group, driving` a drying agent into the base of sald mass oi blocks between the upright sides of said mass and thencev through said. massg.

then subjectingl the entire mass of said blocks to ahighly-heated gaseous medium and passing said gaseous medium thence to and through another group of green blocks, substantially as described.

7. The herein-described method oi treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, in the green state, in to blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed groups with uipright flue-spacing; and, after the setting` o each group, driving a drying agent into the basel of said mass of blocks between the upright sides of said mass and thence through said mass; then subjecting the entire mass of said blocks to a highly-heated gaseous medium and passing said gaseousy medium thence to and .through another lroup of green blocks; and then passing air t irough said mass of blocks and conducting said air thence to and through a group of green blocks, substantially as described.

S. The herein-described method oi' treating plastic material, which method eonsists IIO in forming said material, inthe greenstate,

1n forming said material, in the green state, into blocks; then setting said blocks in a lurality of superposed roups with upright uepacing and, after t e setting of each roup, riving a drying agent upward throug 'said mass; then passing a highly-heated gaseous medium downward throug said mass and thence to and through another group of green brick, substantially as described.

10. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, in the reen state, into blocks; then setting said blot in a lurality of supe osed groups with upri ht fiile-s ing; an ,after the setting of eac grou riving a drying agent upward throug said mass; then passing a highl -heated gaseous medium downward throng said mass and thence to and through agrou of green blocks; then assing air downward t rou h said mass and t ience to andthrough anot er group of green blocks, substantially as described.

1]. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, in the green state,

Y Witn esses'.

into blocks; then setting said blocks in a plurality of superposed groups; and, after the setting of each grou ,driving air at moderate temperature into t le base of saidA mass of blocks between the upright sides ot' said mass and thence through said mass; then subjecting the entire mass of said blocks to a higl'ilyheated gaseous medium; and passing said gaseous medium thence to and through another group of green blocks, substantially as described.

l2. The herein-described method of treating plastic material, which method consists in forming said material, inthe green st ate, into 'blocks ,then setting said blocks in afpluralityr of superposed groups; and, after the setting ol' each group, drivin;- air at moderate temperature into the base of said mass of blocks hetween the lupright sides ot` said mass and thence thrOUh Said mass 5 then subjecting the entire mass of said blocks to a highlyheated gaseous medium and passing said .gaseous medium thence to and through another grou of green blocks; and then passing air throug said mass oi' blocks and lconducting said air thence to and through a group of green blocks, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name, in presence ot two witnesses, this] 4th day of November, 1905.

ALEXANDER ANlll'illSUN SCOTT.

CYRUS KEUR, A. A. SCHMID. 

